VIEWPOINTS – UNDER THE RADAR: Reviews, Batch 1

There’s been (somewhat of) a chill in the air, which means it’s time for Under the Radar, the Public Theater’s indispensable annual multi-disciplinary experimental theater festival and certainly one of the events I look forward to most on the theater calendar. Over the past few days at the Public’s various performance spaces at its home base on Lafayette Street (as well as other co-presenting venues such as BRIC, Japan Society, and La MaMa), I’ve immersed myself in the festival’s various eclectic offerings, courtesy of theater-makers from around the globe. The following is my first batch of reviews.

The company of Back to Back Theatre's "The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes" at Under the Radar.

The company of Back to Back Theatre’s “The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes” at Under the Radar.

THE SHADOW WHOSE PREY THE HUNTER BECOMES
Back to Back Theatre (Australia)

First in a fascinating lineup of shows that unapologetically incorporate performers with various so-called disabilities is Back to Back Theatre’s The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes. The show — which originated in Australia — features performers with mental conditions like autism and Down’s syndrome. The short piece takes the form of a town hall and explores the increasing dependency on artificial intelligence, stealthily aligning it to the “disabilities” so jarringly in plain sight of the audience. In this sense, it challenges our notions of normality within the context of pure intellect. Performed by a cast of five, the work is a devised piece of theater, and you can tell almost immediately. There’s an intimacy and almost brutal trust among them that both warms and chills the heart.

RECOMMENDED

Wang Xiaohuan and Li Jialong in Wang Chong and Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental's production of "Constellations" at Under the Radar.

Wang Xiaohuan and Li Jialong in Wang Chong and Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental’s production of “Constellations” at Under the Radar.

CONSTELLATIONS
Wang Chong and Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental (China)

Then over at La Mama, we have Wang Chong and Théâtre du Rêve Expérimental’s staging of Nick Payne’s play Constellations. This is the third production of the affecting multiverse romance that I’ve seen (which includes a starry one starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson on Broadway). This one’s performed in Mandarin with English subtitles and whimsically features a tireless hamster. Mr. Wang and his Beijing-based theater company were represented at last year’s Under the Radar with the stylish Thunderstorm 2.0, and their staging of Mr. Payne’s two-hander once again features their distinctive brand of multi-media theater. The piece is solidly performed by Wang Xiaohuan and Li Jialong, who prove adept as both stage and film actors via the production’s unique staging.

RECOMMENDED

Rochelle Rose in Selina Thompson's "salt." at Under the Radar.

Rochelle Rose in Selina Thompson’s “salt.” at Under the Radar.

SALT.
Selina Thompson (U.K.)

Back at the Public, I caught Selina Thompson’s salt. The solo show was originally mounted in the U.K. (in fact, the piece was playing at the Royal Court during my last visit to London and also previously played the Edinburgh Festival) to great acclaim. The production, now performed by Rochelle Rose, is a sort of living monument to Ms. Thompson and her profound, highly personal spiritual journey to excavate the Black British identity. Ms. Thompson accomplishes this through ritual and a heightened account of her voyage on a cargo ship that retraced one of the routes of the Transatlantic Slave Triangle. Ms. Rose gives a luminous performance, infusing Ms. Thompson’s poetic, occasionally precious text with beauty and transparency.

RECOMMENDED

Josh Fox in "The Truth Has Changed" at Under the Radar.

Josh Fox in “The Truth Has Changed” at Under the Radar.

THE TRUTH HAS CHANGED
Josh Fox & International WOW Company (U.S.A.)

Then we have The Truth Has Changes, Josh Fox’s mediation on the nature of truth in our contemporary world – especially in light of big data and social media – and the state of the nation. Written and performed by Mr. Fox, the solo show is a startling wake-up call and an urgent plea for action. In content and performance style, Mr. Fox calls to mind some of our very best monologuist, particularly the outspoken Mike Daisey and Michael Moore. In the piece, our guide covers much ground (from 9/11, to fracking, to climate change, to the last presidential campaign, and so forth), which he does in a dynamic and utterly compelling manner.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

UNDER THE RADAR
Off-Broadway, Multi-Disciplinary Experimental Theater Festival
The Public Theater 
Through January 20

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply